In Australia, the credit card balance dropped half a percentage point per cent in March. The total balance of credit and charge card transactions declined to USD 43.04 billion in March, compared to USD 43.25 billion in the previous month. Total repayments increased by 5.4 percent from USD 16.77 billion, reaching USD 17.67 billion in March.

The credit and charge accounts grew in number to 14.08 million in March, from 14.02 million in February. The number of purchases via credit cards registered a 3.2 percent increase to 112.87 million in March, from 109.37 million in the previous month. By value, credit purchases dropped to USD 16.064 billion, as compared with USD 16.46 billion in February.

Cash advances on credit and charge cards jumped to 2.91 million in number , from 2.83 million and the value of advances grew to USD 1.08 billion, from USD 1.04 billion.

Figures have been released by Reserve Bank of Australia.